What does it really mean to “empower” our students? And as teachers, how do we go about it?
In recent years the word itself has become so overused and misunderstood that its meaning has been lost. This is frightening to me because the word is tied to the core of who we are—and to our humanity. According to Judi Chamberlin’s research, an individuals ability to feel empowered boils down to these critical components: power, resources, community, information, options, assertiveness, authenticity, critical thinking, feeling and expressing emotions (especially anger), self-growth, and self-esteem.¹
So, why is this so important in the yoga community? As our students find their way into our classes, a huge power differential is already a part of the equation. They’ve been indoctrinated to believe that the teacher knows best. They’ve been encouraged to not ask questions or express opinions that may run counter to what’s being presented. They’re disconnected from their bodies and their egos sustain this disconnection. They’re afraid to be different. They don’t know how to tap into what their needs really are and if they do, they feel uncomfortable asking for them to be met. And as teachers, we can’t begin to meet their needs if we don’t know them.
I’ve had many teachers in my teacher trainings and workshops complain that instructors have hurt them or not heard them in classes. I always listen to their stories and to date, my response is always, “You’re not taking your power.” A teacher can’t force you to do something or not do something in the yoga classroom. You always have the option to say no, to tell them that they hurt you, to walk out during class or to never come back. And you can do all of those things and still be kind and respectful.
The problem is that most students are not going to volunteer information about injuries or challenges, unless they are asked directly. They’re not going to ask for modifications. They’re not going to drop down and rest. They’re not going to tell you they’re feeling the pose too much or not feeling it at all. They’re not going to tell you that adjustment hurt them. Yet, oddly, they will come back to your class.
The critical point of this story is that if we as teachers don’t feel comfortable taking responsibility for our own bodies in other teachers’ classes— how are we going to model this in our own yoga classrooms? This is our biggest challenge in the yoga classroom.
Empowerment is a collaborative art form—forever transforming—so, I’m constantly refining my methods. Below are several that have and continue to aid me in my quest to encourage students to take back their power!
Share what you know, but leave room for students to feel for themselves, too. I always tell my teacher training students, “Don’t ask a question if you already know the answer.“ If I look at a student in a seated pose and their back is collapsing, I don’t ask if they want a block to sit on; I just hand them one. Then, I ask if it feels better. However, if I look at a student and I’m not sure if a block would help or not, I might invite them to try a block, but I don’t walk away immediately. I stand and watch the student’s face. Some will take the block and though it may be less comfortable, they’ll sit in silence because I’m the teacher and I must know best. After a moment, if they don’t look satisfied, I say, “If it doesn’t feel good or it feels the same, just discard the block—whatever, feels best for you!” Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t—but I’m equally happy with either response because in that moment they’ve taken their power.
Give many opportunities for students to speak up. Every time class starts, I want to know if anyone has any new injuries or recent illnesses that I don’t know about. Then, I check in with students regarding issues from the week before. I continue to check in throughout class. By asking and doing these simple things I show students that I care deeply about their health and I indoctrinate new students into a world where their voice matters and contributes to their well-being.
Ask another way. Often, I like to ask the same question in different ways: “Does everybody understand how to contract the pelvic floor?” Invariably everyone kind of nods their heads and says nothing. But when I ask the follow-up question, “Does anyone not understand?” and I look around the room, catching eyes, students seem more comfortable and tend to ask for clarification. It’s two questions that effectively mean the same thing but I find I often get a response only on the second round.
Keep egos in check. When I’m demoing a pose I show the safest version first and if applicable, I’ll next demo the more challenging version. But afterwards I immediately drop back into the initial pose. It helps students fight their own egos and need to compare when they see that their teacher has challenges and issues, that I’m human too.
Of course, there are certain poses I won’t allow students to even attempt until they’ve built up certain muscle groups—most often back and abdominals. I’ve learned that it is possible to inspire and empower at the same time! One student asked to do Headstand and I said to her, “If you want to do Headstand safely, you need to do pushups at home regularly to build your forearm and triceps strength.” This is perhaps where my ability to model empowerment has its limits, in that grey space where injuries can happen. This is where my ethics kick in. I’m responsible for my students and on the rare occasion that they won’t or can’t take care of themselves and the potential for injury is there, I will step in. After the fact, I always explain why. The why can never be about me or my ego or my need to assert control or power—it has to always be about my love for them and their love for themselves.
Keep learning and growing. Over the years I’ve learned much through trial and error. Empowerment is also about modeling, accepting, and giving responsibility. It’s about stepping up when we’ve disappointed or accidentally hurt somebody, and it’s about stepping down and giving our students space to step up and take care of themselves. It’s about accepting the fact that nobody knows what our students are really feeling but our students.
Without encouraging the collective voices in our classes, we become stagnant as teachers and as students. Ultimately, the real beauty of empowerment lies in the magic we create together by challenging and learning and growing and trusting. Within this amazing ensemble of voices we can allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we can allow ourselves to be human.
Photo by Benjamin J. DeLong, used with Creative Commons license
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